On Monday April, 28th '14 my peers and I went on a field trip to Inwood Park located in Upper Manhattan. My visit the park was my first introduction to Poison Ivy by Park Ranger Gerry and I realized I did not know much about Poison Ivy so I decided to do more in-depth research on the topic. Toxicodendron Radicans, widely known as Poison Ivy is a notorious Plant that causes a skin rash called allergic contact dermatitis when it comes in contact with skin. T. Radicans AKA Poison Ivy is from the Anacardiaceae family. The most common identification of Poison Ivy is by the leaves which is mostly three leaflets which hints the famed saying "leaves of three, let it be". Poison Ivy can be found in abundance in North America; the first person however to record Poison Ivy in the United States was Captain John Smith of Virginia in the early 1600's. Mr. Smith, an English explorer, the first to settle in what is known as Jamestown, Virginia, was the person who gave T. Radicans its regularly used nickname stating that it reminded him of the English ivy that grew in his homeland.
“The poisonous weed, being in shape but little different from our English ivie; but being touched causeth reddness, itchings,and lastly blysters, the which howsoever, after a while they pass away of themselves without further harme; yet because for the time they are somewhat painefull, and in aspect dangerous, it hath gotten itselfe an ill name, although questionless ofnoe very ill nature.” – Captain John Smith, 1609
When someone comes in contact with Poison Ivy the allergic reaction creates pus-filled blisters and red irritated patches. The allergic reaction is caused by an oil called Urushiol which is found in poison ivy and is very contagious. The poison ivy plant releases urushiol when they are contacted and the oil can actually travel through the air. Urushiol travels down through the skin and makes it way into the bloodstream where it is then recognized by T-Cells that label it as a foreign substance and triggers an immune response. According to the American Academy of Dermatology between 10-50 Million people in the USA have an allergic reaction to poison ivy each year. Common symptoms of Poison Ivy are swelling of the throat, tongue, and lips, difficulty breathing, weakness, and dizziness. Many people who go camping ingest poison ivy indirectly from burning firewood with poison ivy on them. The first sign of a poison ivy allergy is an itchy spot. the itch however, no matter the size, can be one of the itchiest experiences ever. Sensitivity to Poison Ivy differs from person to person, some calm to be immune to Poison Ivy, while for others it only takes a molecular trace of Urushiol (less than one millionth of an ounce) to cause an allergic reaction. I never made physical contact with Poison Ivy, however based one what I have experienced second hand it is extremely annoying and painful to endure.
If one was to make contact with Poison Ivy, The site of contact must be treated with urgency. first and foremost all clothing must be removed and washed at once. The Urushiol allergen on the surface of the skin must then be removed also with alcohol, soap and water, in order to stop the Urushiol from seeping into the skin any further. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/poison-ivy4.htm
Poison Ivy - Brando
On Monday April, 28th '14 my peers and I went on a field trip to Inwood Park located in Upper Manhattan. My visit the park was my first introduction to Poison Ivy by Park Ranger Gerry and I realized I did not know much about Poison Ivy so I decided to do more in-depth research on the topic.
Toxicodendron Radicans, widely known as Poison Ivy is a notorious Plant that causes a skin rash called allergic contact dermatitis when it comes in contact with skin. T. Radicans AKA Poison Ivy is from the Anacardiaceae family. The most common identification of Poison Ivy is by the leaves which is mostly three leaflets which hints the famed saying "leaves of three, let it be". Poison Ivy can be found in abundance in North America; the first person however to record Poison Ivy in the United States was Captain John Smith of Virginia in the early 1600's. Mr. Smith, an English explorer, the first to settle in what is known as Jamestown, Virginia, was the person who gave T. Radicans its regularly used nickname stating that it reminded him of the English ivy that grew in his homeland.
“The poisonous weed, being in shape but little different from our English ivie; but being touched causeth reddness, itchings,and lastly blysters, the which howsoever, after a while they pass away of themselves without further harme; yet because for the time they are somewhat painefull, and in aspect dangerous, it hath gotten itselfe an ill name, although questionless ofnoe very ill nature.” – Captain John Smith, 1609
When someone comes in contact with Poison Ivy the allergic reaction creates pus-filled blisters and red irritated patches. The allergic reaction is caused by an oil called Urushiol which is found in poison ivy and is very contagious. The poison ivy plant releases urushiol when they are contacted and the oil can actually travel through the air. Urushiol travels down through the skin and makes it way into the bloodstream where it is then recognized by T-Cells that label it as a foreign substance and triggers an immune response. According to the American Academy of Dermatology between 10-50 Million people in the USA have an allergic reaction to poison ivy each year. Common symptoms of Poison Ivy are swelling of the throat, tongue, and lips, difficulty breathing, weakness, and dizziness.
Many people who go camping ingest poison ivy indirectly from burning firewood with poison ivy on them. The first sign of a poison ivy allergy is an itchy spot. the itch however, no matter the size, can be one of the itchiest experiences ever. Sensitivity to Poison Ivy differs from person to person, some calm to be immune to Poison Ivy, while for others it only takes a molecular trace of Urushiol (less than one millionth of an ounce) to cause an allergic reaction. I never made physical contact with Poison Ivy, however based one what I have experienced second hand it is extremely annoying and painful to endure.
If one was to make contact with Poison Ivy, The site of contact must be treated with urgency. first and foremost all clothing must be removed and washed at once. The Urushiol allergen on the surface of the skin must then be removed also with alcohol, soap and water, in order to stop the Urushiol from seeping into the skin any further.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/poison-ivy4.htm
http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/faq.htm
http://www.amnh.org/learn/biodiversity_counts/ident_help/poison_ivy.htm
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/shrubs/toxicodendron.html
http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/31-2-no-ill-nature.aspx